¶1. (C) Abdelkader Bensalah was re-elected, 129-0, as thePresident of the Conseil de la Nation (Senate) on January 12.Bensalah remains first in line to succeed PresidentBouteflika in the event that he is unable to complete hiscurrent term. Bensalah's re-election became a foregoneconclusion when no other senator challenged him for the post.A reporter for French-language daily newspaper Liberte,XXXXXXXXXXXX, who covered all aspects of the election, toldus the result was predetermined once President Bouteflikasignaled to the senators that he wanted Bensalah to retainhis position. XXXXXXXXXXXX said senators privately complainedthat, out of respect to Bouteflika, no other candidates hadpresented themselves. Many told her the election became aformality rather than an exercise in democracy, which was ashame in their view.

¶2. (C) On the day of the election, eight new senators joinedthe Conseil de la Nation as part of the third of themembership appointed directly by President Bouteflika (refA). All have one characteristic in common: they are"moudjahidine," or veterans (like Bouteflika) of the war ofindependence against France. According to XXXXXXXXXXXX, thesenewly appointed senators, as members of the "revolutionaryfamily" and in a sense "siblings of President Bouteflika,"will be very loyal to him. Some senators quietly expressedto her their frustration that the president did not reach outto members of the younger generation who will need to leadthe country after Bouteflika and his generation pass from thescene.

¶3. (C) Bouteflika appointed just eight senators out of the 24allotted to him this year. XXXXXXXXXXXX, a former senatorfrom the presidential tier, told us Bouteflika made aconscious decision to leave 16 seats vacant for laterappointment. While it may be true that Bouteflika had notyet made up his mind in some cases, XXXXXXXXXXXX thought it more likely that he wanted to keep some Senate seats in reservefor ministers who are expected to be dismissed shortly fromthe cabinet. XXXXXXXXXXXX said the number of vacant seats was agood indicator that a cabinet shuffle was coming soon.

¶4. (C) COMMENT: Even though Bouteflika's illness is recedingin the minds of the public (thanks to television pictures ofan active president), the widely respected Bensalah isconsidered able to manage the presidential succession processshould Bouteflika not be able to finish his term. XXXXXXXXXXXXanalysis of the vacant Senate seats also strikes us as on themark.FORD